Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition
by B0rnlucky
Summary: I'm The Gamer, what every si/fanfic author has wet dreams about. Being stuck in the Mass Effect universe isn't that bad especially with all the perks of being the Gamer. The question is, what will I do? What will I become? How will I help the Commander? This is a community driven fanfic. I'll end some Chapters giving people the chance to vote on which path the Gamer should take.
1. Chapter 1: Character Creation

**A/N: I do not own Mass Effect or The Gamer. Mass Effect belongs to EA and The Gamer belongs to Sung San-Young**

* * *

 _Welcome to the Character Creation Menu._

 _Please select your race._

* * *

I woke up floating in a black void looking at a small floating blue box with those words written in it. I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"What the hell?" I asked.

* * *

 _Help: Character Creation_

 _There are many races that in habit the galaxy. Each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The player must choose which one of the twelve races they will play as in your quest to aid Commander Shepard. Be warned however once your race is chosen you will be unable to change your decision. Choose wisely._

 ** _Asari:_** _The Asari, native to the planet Thessia, are often considered the most influential and respected sentient species in the galaxy, and are known for their elegance, diplomacy, and biotic aptitude. This is partly due to the fact that the Asari were among the earliest races to achieve interstellar flight after the Protheans, and the first to discover and settle the Citadel._

 _A mono-gender race, the Asari are distinctly feminine in appearance and possess maternal instincts. Their unique physiology, expressed in a millennium-long lifespan and the ability to reproduce with a partner of any gender or species, gives them a conservative yet convivial attitude toward other races. Favoring compromise and cooperation over conflict, the Asari were instrumental in proposing and founding the Citadel Council and have been at the heart of galactic society ever since._

 _-Asari begin the game with a racial bonus to their Biotic Aptitude stat._

 _-Beginning as an Asari removes your gender choice during character creation._

 _-Asari begin the game with the Racial Skill: Mind Meld: allows you to merge minds with anyone allowing you to share thoughts and feelings._

 ** _Salarian_** _: The second species to join the Citadel, the Salarians are warm-blooded amphibians native to the planet Sur'Kesh. Salarians possess a hyperactive metabolism; they think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To Salarians, other species seem sluggish and dull-witted, especially the Elcor. Unfortunately, their metabolic speed leaves them with a relatively short lifespan; Salarians over the age of 40 are a rarity._

 _Salarians are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they are letting on._

 _-Salarians begin the game with the unique skill Heightened Metabolism: allows the player to become fully rested after only one hour of rest greatly increasing play time._

 _-Salarians have a racial bonus to their Intelligence stat_

 ** _Turian_** _: Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture, the turians were the third race to join the Citadel Council. They gained their Council seat after defeating the hostile Krogan for the Council during the Krogan Rebellions. The turians deployed a salarian-created biological weapon called the genophage, which virtually sterilized the Krogan and sent them into a decline. The turians then filled the peacekeeping niche left by the once-cooperative Krogan, and eventually gained a Council seat in recognition of their efforts._

 _Originally from the planet Palaven, turians are best known for their military role, particularly their contributions of soldiers and starships to the Citadel Fleet. They are respected for their public service ethic—it was the turians who first proposed creating C-Sec—but are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other races. There is some animosity between turians and humans, largely due to the turian role in the First Contact War. This bitterness is slowly beginning to heal—as shown by the cooperation of the two races on the construction of the SSV Normandy—but many turians still resent humans, and vice versa._

 _-Turians can begin the game with two Advanced Combat Skills_

 _-All Turians have a racial penalty to their Flexibility stat._

 ** _Human:_** _Humans, from the planet Earth, are the newest sentient species of notable size to enter the galactic stage and are the most rapidly expanding and developing. They independently discovered a Prothean data cache on Mars in 2148, and the mass relay networks shortly thereafter._

 _-Humans begin the game with three additional stat points to spend during Character Creation_

 ** _Volus:_** _The Volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy, but are also a client race of the turians. They hail from Irune, which possesses a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the Volus must wear pressure suits and breathers when dealing with other species._

 _Because they are not physically adept compared to most species, Volus mostly make their influence felt through trade and commerce, and they have a long history on the Citadel. However, they have never been invited to join the Council, which is a sore point for many Volus individuals._

 _-Volus begin the game with two Advanced Economical Skills_

 ** _Drell:_** _The Drell are a reptile-like race that were rescued from their dying homeworld by the Hanar following first contact between the two. Since then, the Drell have remained loyal to the Hanar for their camaraderie and have fit comfortably into galactic civilization._

 _-Drell begin the game with a racial bonus to their Flexibility Stat_

 _-Drell begin the game with the Racial Skill Eidetic Memory: Increases the rate at which you learn new skills and provides a bonus to their exp for the first 10 lvls._

 ** _Hanar:_** _The Hanar are a species resembling Earth's jellyfish and are one of the few non-bipedal Citadel races. Hanar are known for their intense politeness when speaking, and their strong religious beliefs regarding the Protheans, whom they refer to as "the Enkindlers"._

 _-Hanar Begin the game with a racial penalty to all stats except for Charisma_

 _-Hanar begin the game with a racial skill Natural Toxins: Causes short term paralysis on contact_

 ** _Elcor:_** _The Elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored their psychology, making them deliberate and conservative._

 _-Elcor begin the game with a racial bonus to their Strength stat_

 ** _Krogan:_** _The Krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. The Krogan managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as Krogan society became more technologically advanced, so did their weaponry. The end result is that they destroyed their homeworld in a nuclear war that reduced their race into primitive warring tribes._

 _With the help of the Salarians, the Krogan were "uplifted" into galactic society, and lent their numbers and military prowess to bring an end to the Rachni Wars. Ironically, after the Rachni were eradicated, the rapidly-expanding Krogan became a threat to the galaxy in turn, starting the Krogan Rebellions and forcing the turians to unleash the genophage. This genetic "infection" dramatically reduced fertility in Krogan females, causing a severe drop in births secondary to prenatal and postnatal death and, ultimately, population, eliminating the Krogan numerical advantage._

 _-Krogan begin the game with a racial bonus to their Strength Stat_

 _-Krogan posses the racial skill Healing Factor: Allows the Krogan to regenerate from wounds even while in combat_

 _-All Krogan suffer from the permanent de-buff The Genophage: reduces the ability to reproduce with other Krogan by 1000%_

 ** _Quarian:_** _The Quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and synthetic intelligence. Since their homeworld Rannoch was conquered, the Quarians live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of starships that travel as a single fleet._

 _Approximately three hundred years before the events of 2183, the Quarians created the Geth, a species of rudimentary artificial intelligences, to serve as an efficient source of manual labor. However, when the Geth gradually became sentient, the Quarians became terrified of possible consequences and tried to destroy their creations. The Geth won the resulting war and forced their creators into exile. Now the Quarians wander the galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships, secondhand vessels, and recycled technology._

 _-Quarians begin the game with two Advanced Engineering Skills_

 _-Quarians have the permanent de-buff Weakened Immune System: makes the Quarians 100% more susceptible to diseases and infections_

 ** _Batarian:_** _A race of four-eyed bipeds native to the world of Khar'shan, the Batarians are a disreputable species that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Systems are infested with Batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the Batarian thug. It should be noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave Batarian space by their ubiquitous and paranoid government._

 _Despite several disagreements with the Citadel and simmering hostility toward humans, most Batarians prefer profitable pursuits such as drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out warfare. They have a reputation for being shrewd businessmen and merchants, though in more lawless regions of the galaxy like Omega, negotiations with a Batarian are likely to be conducted at gunpoint._

 _-Batarians begin the game with one Advanced Combat Skill_

 _-Batarians can begin the game with one Slave Retainer_

 ** _Vorcha:_** _Known for their unique biology and aggressive behavior, the Vorcha of Heshtok are a primitive race that live among the galaxy's darker and more dangerous locations, such as Omega. Many Vorcha are trained by the Krogan Blood Pack as mercenaries due to their savage nature and adaptability to different environments. The rest of galactic civilization regards them as pests and scavengers, and their presence is generally seen as a blight._

 _-Vorcha being the game with a racial penalty to their Intelligence stat_

 _-Vorcha posses the racial skill Healing Factor: Allows the Vorcha to regenerate from wounds even while in combat_

* * *

I stared blankly at the window that showed each of the twelve playable races. Each description was accompanied with a picture of a male and female version of each species, all except the Asari. I couldn't help but begin to panic a bit, but just as my heart started to race my body began to calm down and my mind became clearer.

"What in the world is going on with me?"

* * *

 _Welcome to Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition_

 _You've been chosen to play The Gamer Edition of Mass Effect. The game where you become one of Commander Shepard's Comrades in the fight against Saren, the Collectors, and finally the Reapers. You'll be in complete control of your avatar and experience the galaxy around you as though it were reality._

* * *

What. The. Fuck. I couldn't help but glare at the screen. It took a surprising small amount of time for me to get over my shock. Somehow I ended up in the Mass Effect universe, and somehow I was creating a character as though it were some kind of RPG. I had no idea what was going on but I couldn't help but smile at what was in front of me. If this was going to be my life for the foreseeable future I couldn't help but get giddy at the thought.

"Let's take a look at these races again."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone thanks for reading my Mass Effect/The Gamer Crossover. I've been looking forward to writing something like this ever since I first read The Gamer. I'd like to invite everyone vote one which race the gamer will choose. Please leave your votes in review section and let me know what you think.**

 **P.S. I wanted to add that I'll leave the voting open for about five days after I post each new chapter. If I don't get enough votes I'll just go with my own choice. Please enjoy.**


	2. Guide: Stats, Attributes, and Skils

_Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition._

 _Guide: Stats, Attributes, and Skills  
_

* * *

 ** _Stats:_** _Stats are the basis of the Gamer's power. While having no direct influence on combat, stats instead determine things like your base health and stamina, the strength of your various attacks, and speed at which you learn and advance your skills. Each time you level up you gain five stat points to allocate, however you can also increase your stats through things like exercise or reading. The following list gives a brief description of what each stat does._ _  
_

 _-Strength: Determines your maximum carrying load and melee attack power_

 _-Vitality: Determines your base health_

 _-Endurance: Determines your base stamina_

 _-Intelligence: Determines the rate at which you advance your skills_

 _-Accuracy: Base attack roll with Raged weapons_

 _-Charisma: A higher charisma stat makes it easier for you to influence others with your words_

 _-Flexibility: increases you movement ability while in combat_

 _\- Biotic Aptitude(May not apply to all cases): Determines the rate at which you learn new biotic attacks and base attack power of Biotics._

* * *

 ** _Attributes:_** _The two attributes you have are Health and Stamina._

 _-Health: (HP=50*VIT) Health is determined by your vitality stat. Health regeneration is dependent upon things like armor subsystems and medigel consumption._

 _-Stamina: (SP=20*END) Stamina is determined by your Endurance stat. Stamina is only regenerated while standing still. Stamina is used to preform combat actions like combat rolls and storm sprints. Biotic attacks also use up a portion of your stamina_

* * *

 ** _Skills:_** _There are hundreds of skills in Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition. Each has it's own uses, but it's up to the Gamer to determine how best to use them in the fight against the Reapers. Skill's are broken up into the following categories._

 _Combat Skills: Combat skills include things like Assault Riffle Proficiency, Heavy Pistol Proficiency, and Storm Sprint. Each combat skill provides you an edge in your fight. Master them all and become the ultimate soldier._

 _Engineering Skills: Engineering Skills include Weapon Design, Weapon Modification, and Armor Subsystem Design. As an engineer you'll be able to design and create the ultimate weapons of war._

 _Tech Skills: Tech skills include AI hacking, decryption, and bypass. Being proficient at tech skills will allow the Gamer to hack into security cameras, disable a mech's targeting algorithm, and allow you to create and program your own VI's._

 _Economical Skills: Economical skills allow you create a business, play the stock market, and manage your finances. Do not ignore these simple skills, they could mean the difference between you having a place to stay or living off the streets like a Vorcha._

 _Ship Skills: Ever wanted to piolet your own ship. These skills will let you learn all the maintenance and operations of a ship._

 _Common Skills: These are skills that anyone can learn regardless of their race or profession. As such they labeled as common skills._

 _Racial Skills: These are the skills that can only be learned if your are the appropriate race. After all no one can head-butt like a Krogan and only Asari can meld their minds with others._

 _Hidden Skills: These skills have no classification, and can only be learned from the right people in the right place and only if a certain set of conditions are met._

 _Gamer Skills: The Gamer has two unique skills that only the Gamer can have._

* * *

 **A/N: The voting for which race the Gamer will chose will end tomorrow (Saturday) 6-21-15 night at 11:59 PM CT if you want to have a say and be counted please cast your vote in the reviews section for either Chapter 1 or this guide.**


	3. Chapter 2: Picking a Race

**Chapter 2: Picking a Race**

* * *

I spent a long time reviewing the races and trying to decide which one I should pick. After a lot of experimentation I learned that I could open up a lot of different screens relating to my abilities as The Gamer, the problem was most of the information was blocked out until I chose my race or a profession, whatever that was. I managed to find a guide that told me a little bit of what I could expect regarding my skills and stats.

It took a while but I eventually settled on a Quarian. I've always had a soft spot for the Quarians, they're by far my favorite race in the Mass Effect universe, and come on! How could I pass up Tali? I grinned as I made my choice.

All the sudden I was surrounded by lines of code. They were so bright especially to my dark adjusted eyes. With a sudden flash the lines of code disappeared and I was looking at a young Quarian male.

"Wow." I said and raised a hand watching is fascination as Quarian mirrored my movements. With a start I realized that I was looking at a reflection.

* * *

 _Congratulations on selecting your Race._

 _You've chosen to play as a Quarian. You may now customize your Avatar._

* * *

I found that I had absolute control over what my avatar would look like. It took me hours to just go through all the options. I didn't really have any issues with changing my looks seeing as how every time I looked into a mirror for the foreseeable future I would be wearing a tinted visor. One of the coolest things I could do was place the bioluminescent streaks that would cover my body. I had a lot of fun with that. I ended up putting a massive amount of swirls and complex geometric patterns running up and down my whole body. I put a line of spots right above my eyes and on my cheekbones. By the time I was done I looked like a Christmas tree.

"That might be a little too much." I said. I reached up and grabbed my chin as I stared at myself. Then I noticed a setting on my _Avatar Edit_ window labeled _Pulse Effects._ I reached over and started playing with the setting. With it I could set my bioluminescent spots to pulse on and off in random patterns.

"Much better." I said I watched as my body lit up and dimed in time with my breath. With that I moved on to designing my enviro suit. It was fairly less complicated than my body, but I still had fun with it. I made my suit a mix of dark greys and blacks. The cowl around my head however was a deep amber red. I had to admit it looked pretty cool. I finalized my choices and moved on.

* * *

 _Please select your background._

* * *

What followed was an expanded version of the Commander Shepard background creation. I had a lot of options, and it took me a long time to read through them. I had no Idea what I would choose until the title of one came to my attention.

* * *

 _Child of the Exile._

 _No one knows who your mother is. One day a small Asari vessel approached a scout ship for the Fleet. The only occupants were you, as a newborn Quarian, and the Asari that brought you to the Fleet. When asked the Asari refused to give up the name of your Mother. The Asari in question only said that your mother had saved her life and that as a last request your mother begged the Asari to bring you to the Fleet saying that it was your only hope. The only clue to your mother is your name, Tola'Nor, but there are no records of any member of the Migrant Fleet ever sharing your name._

 _You live onboard the Tenkuku. Ever since you came on board you and the crew have kept your distance from each other. Mostly due to the unperceived stigma of being the child of an Exile._

* * *

I raised my eyebrow. I loved the mystery behind this background. I clearly remember each background for Commander Shepard having it's own special quirks. I hoped that might be true for mine as well. I hit accept and moved on to the next step.

* * *

 _Please distribute your beginning stat points._

 _NOTE: Your race does not begin with any points in Biotic Aptitude. If you do not distribute any points into Biotic Aptitude at character creation you will never be able to do so ever._

* * *

I raised and eyebrow at that notice. Basically if I didn't spend some of my character creation points here and now I would never have the chance to become a biotic. Because I'd chosen to be a Quarian I hadn't really planned on being a Biotic at all. It wasn't really that big of a deal, but it was good to know. I looked at my character sheet and grimaced, it was a good thing too. I only had fifty five points to distribute among the five remaining stats. If I put 10 points in each one that would leave me with five to spend as a bonus, but I've played other RPG's like D&D and Pathfinder. I know having 10 in each stat would end up being my downfall later on. . .

Unless I was missing something.

"Show Guide: Stats." I said out loud.

* * *

 ** _Stats:_** _Stats are the basis of the Gamer's power. While having no direct influence on combat, stats instead determine things like your base health and stamina, the strength of your various attacks, and speed at which you learn and advance your skills. Each time you level up you gain five stat points to allocate, however you can also increase your stats through things like exercise or reading. The following list gives a brief description of what each stat does._

 _Strength: Determines your maximum carrying load and melee attack power_

 _Vitality: Determines your base health_

 _Endurance: Determines your base stamina_

 _Intelligence: Determines the rate at which you advance your skills_

 _Accuracy: Base attack roll with Raged weapons_

 _Charisma: A higher charisma stat makes it easier for you to influence others with your words_

 _Flexibility: increases you movement ability while in combat_

 _Biotic Aptitude(May not apply to all cases): Determines the rate at which you learn new biotic attacks and base attack power of Biotics.*_

 _*Note: Biotic Aptitude can only be increased with stat points gained from raising your level_

* * *

I read the line that said I could gain stat points by means other than leveling up. In the end 55 points were not a whole lot to spend. After I was done my stat distribution looked like this

* * *

 _Strength: 5_

 _Vitality: 6_

 _Endurance: 7_

 _Intelligence: 15_

 _Accuracy: 10_

 _Charisma: 8_

 _Flexibility: 4_

* * *

Without the ability to actually test myself in combat I had no idea if what I was doing was right or not. Hell all I could do was take a leap of faith and hope there was a conveniently placed cart of hay underneath me.

All I had left was to choose my starting skills and I would be done. There were a number of Engineering Skills I could take. I focused primarily on skills that would allow me to create or modify my weapons or help keep me alive in some fashion. In the end I chose _Advanced Weapon Design_ and _Advanced_ _Armor Subsystem Design._ My hope was that with the _Armor Subsystem Design_ I could create some kind of medical interface and keep my glowing ass alive. It was kind of humbling knowing that anytime I got shot, even if it were only a graze, could be my last time.

* * *

 _Congratulation's you have successfully completed your character creation._

 _Exit Character Creation Module and begin playing? Y/N_

* * *

"Yes." I said. I couldn't help but grin as I was once again enveloped in lines of code.

* * *

"Captain, our marines have found something on the planet below us."

Captain Ishana Tola vas Tenkuku looked over at her executive officer. "Explain." She said.

The XO in question handed over a data pad. The upper right hand corner was out of focus and was a bit fuzzy but it was still very usable. "I think we found the source of the strange signal we've been receiving. It looks like some kind of military probe, but the marines aren't certain. They're requesting we send down a couple of engineers to take a look at it."

The Captain grabbed the chin of her helmet and thought for a moment. Her ship had already spent two days in this system. Most of that time they had been orbiting the small gas planet on the edge of the system so they could discharge the buildup in their drive core. The entire time her crew had been monitoring the strange signal that was coming from the small planet currently underneath them. She didn't like staying still for so long, but the chance to get her hands on some military hardware was too good of a chance to pass up.

"Alright Gilo. Form a team and send them down, but I want regular updates, and be ready to move out at a moment's notice. We need to get back to our patrol."

"Yes Captain." Gilo nodded to his captain and quickly comprised a short list of the people he'd need and handed it over to the Captain. She quickly read over the list and he watched as her eye's widened when she reached the bottom.

"Tola'Nor?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am. He's an excellent engineer and I think having him spend some time around the marines would be good for him."

"He's fairly young to go on a go on a mission like this." The Captain argued.

"I know, but you know how the crew treat him. They're not antagonistic to him, but he hasn't really made a place with us yet and the crew keep him at a distance."

Ishana sat back and nodded her head. Personally she though the boy had potential, but she had no idea how to help him grow seeing as how he was so quiet all the time. It wasn't that he was shy, it's just that he had more companionship with his data pads than with the crew. If you got him to talk he could be very engaging, but getting him to talk was the issue.

"Very well if you think it'll help. I don't see an issue with it. Just make sure he checks out with the pistol at least before he goes down with you."

"Yes Captain."

* * *

I woke up on a small bunk. Have you ever had the chance to take a tour of some of the Naval ships from World War II? If you have then you know how the crew berths on a Quarian ship look like. I was on a somewhat soft pallet that was just big enough to not be uncomfortable. A little less than a meter above me was the bottom of another pallet. I looked over the edge and saw that there was another pallet the same distance below me.

Suddenly my arm lit up as my omni-tool activated.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _Congratulations on completing your character creation!_

 _This is the omni-tool interface. By using this interface you will have access to your character sheet, inventory, skill list, and etc._

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have awoken well rested. Your HP and SP are fully restored._

* * *

I laid back down on my bunk and stared flicking through my omni-tool. I was looking at all the information I had available to me as the Gamer. Turns out I was only fourteen at the moment, give or take a few days or weeks, owning to the fact that no one really knew when I was born. When I compared that to the date I realized that I would have about five years before the attack on Eden Prime, I hoped that would be plenty of time for me to get ready. I perused my character sheet and the help guide for a bit before I turned to _Skills_ window. I was surprised to see that I had four skills. Along side the _Advanced Weapon Design_ and _Advanced_ _Armor Subsystem Design_ I also had _The Body of the Gamer_ and _The Mind of the Gamer_. I clicked on each one to read what each skill did.

* * *

 _The Body of the Gamer (lvl MAX): Turns the Gamer's body into that of that of his chosen race. Your genetic structure has been re-written into that of a Quarian you will be subject to all the biological triggers of a normal Quarian._

* * *

Oh come on I have to go through puberty again! As a Quarian, come on! I sighed and clicked on the next skill.

* * *

 _The Mind of the Gamer (lvl MAX): Gives the Gamer all the necessary information needed to assimilate into the culture of his chosen race. Allows the Gamer to understand cultural references and allows the Gamer to understand and speak Khelish. Also alters the psyche of the Gamer making him immune to psychological effects such as fear and panic._

* * *

I raised an eyebrow at _The Mind of the Gamer_ skill. That would certainly explain why I was so calm about everything. I was a little angry that what ever had caused me to arrive in this place had altered my mind without my consent, but there was little I could do about it now.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You are receiving a call._

* * *

I quickly hit the answer button. The image of a Quarian popped up on my omni-tool. My _The Mind of the Gamer_ skill told me that this was the ships XO Gilo.

 _"Tola, how are you this morning?"_

 _"I'm fine sir."_ I said slowly.

 _"Good, I have a Mission down on the planet, and I'd like for you to accompany me."_ He said. " _But before you can join us on the planet down below, I need you to report to Sargent and get qualified in at least the Basics for the Heavy Pistol."_

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have received an Assignment._

 _Your XO has ordered you to report to ship's Sargent and learn the Basic Combat Skill: Heavy Pistol Proficiency. Completing this assignment will raise your renown with the ship's XO and the ship's Marine company. You must complete this Assignment before you can be added to the Gilo'Takkan's Mission._

* * *

 _"Yes sir. I'll get right on that."_ I said.

 _"Good, we'll be leaving in 2 Hours. Also if you get done quick enough talk to the Marines. I know you haven't been off ship very often. Talk to them about what you should expect down there."_ He said.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _Your assignment has been updated with a Secondary Objective. The XO has told you to speak with the Marines about what to expect on an Unexplored Planet. You will only be able to do this if you complete your Primary Objective, before the Time Limit is up."_

* * *

 _"I'll do my best sir."_ I said.

 _"I know you will, son. See you in 2 Hours."_

With that the screen blanked out, and was replaced with a timer showing 00:02:00:00 which began counting down.

I couldn't help but smile a bit. My game had just started and I was already on my way to make a name for my self. I got up from my cot and left to find the Sargent.

 **A/N: I know it's been a while with only a short update today. I promise the next one will be longer. Please let me know what you all think. As for the voting on the which race the Gamer would choose it was really close. for a while there I though that the Asari would win but in the last two days or so the Quarians won out. Thank you to everyone who voted.**

 **There's no poll this chapter but I'll try to have one built in next time.**


	4. Chapter 3: First Mission

**Chapter 3: First Mission**

* * *

 _Character Sheet_

 ** _Stats_**

 _Strength (STG): 5_

 _Vitality (VIT): 6_

 _Endurance (END): 7_

 _Intelligence (INT): 15_

 _Accuracy (ACC): 10_

 _Charisma (CHA): 8_

 _Flexibility (FLX): 4_

 _Biotic Aptitude (BIA): -_

 ** _Attributes_**

 _Health: 120/120 (VIT*20)_

 _Stamina: 140/140 (END*20)_

* * *

 _Guide: Assignments and Missions_

 _Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition has two different quest types, assignments and missions._

 ** _Assignments:_** _Assignments are typically given out by your superior officers, but they can be awarded by anyone, and they normally have a time limit, and are normally optional in regards to the main plotline of Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition. Some assignments cannot be ignored if they are preludes to a Mission._

 ** _Mission's:_** _Missions are part of Mass Effect: TGE's main storyline. Once you've begun a Mission you must either complete it or fail it. All missions have some effect on Mass Effect: TGE's storyline._

* * *

I quickly read the guide page on Mission's and Assignments as I made my way through the Tenkuku. The Marine barracks and training rooms were located on the outer portions of the ship. That way if there was an accident they only had to worry about one compartment getting depressurized instead of half the ship getting torn to pieces.

"Sergeant Korvan." I read aloud as I entered the marine's office. There were two lines of text above his head reading

* * *

 _Sergeant Korvan'Geralt vas Tenkuku_

 _Migrant Fleet Marines Lvl: 24_

* * *

"Yes." The Quarian looked up at me. He was wearing a green and white enviro suit. I could see the glow of a tactical visor behind his tinted visor.

"Sergeant, the ship's XO asked that I join him on a mission down on the planet's surface, but before I can go he wants me to get a Basic qualification for the Heavy Pistol.

"I see." The Quarian stood up and motioned for me to follow him. "Makes sense, I wish I could get more of you young ones to come down here and teach you a few things."

I watched as he walked back behind him into a weapons locker and grabbed a pair of pistols. He attached one to his hip and handed me the other one.

"Keep that closed until we get on the range. Follow me kid."

I nodded as I followed the sergeant into a room labeled Firing Range.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have entered a special Combat Zone: Training Room_

 _You have entered: Migrant Fleet Marines' Firing Range_

 _While in the Training Room your HP cannot drop below Zero_

* * *

As soon as I entered the firing range I saw a couple of marines practicing with their own weapons. The air was filled with the sounds of Mass Effect weaponry going off. The sergeant lead me over to an empty shooting booth and said, "Come here kid. Pull out that gun and take a look at it."

I brought up the pistol and unfolded it. It looked like a Predator from Mass Effect 2. The red paint was faded and there were scratches all up and down the body.\

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have learned a new skill by preforming an action_

 _You have Learned the skill: Observe_

 ** _Observe (Lvl 1 0.0%):_** _Allows you to inspect objects and people and learn information about them. The amount of information gained depends on the level of the skill and your INT._

 _Passively grants a +10% Bonus to INT_

 _Activation Cost: 10 SP_

* * *

I read the info about pistol.

* * *

 _Worn Out Edge 1_

 _A pistol manufactured by Elkoss Combine. Designed by the Volus to Turian standards. Although not the most powerful, this line of pistols is preferred by turians for their reliability and their high heat capacity. This pistol has seen better days and needs some work._

 _Damage: 83_

 _Shots before Overheat: 7.9_

 _Durability: 50/50_

 _Accuracy profile: 2.4_

 _Accuracy Rating: 2.4*ACC = 24_

* * *

"Alright let's see what you got." Sergeant Korvan said. "Take a stance like this." He said pulling out his own pistol and adopting a shooting stance.

I mimicked him as best I could. The sergeant squeezed his shoulders together in mild agitation. "No, here let me help you." He said. He went around readjusting my body to the correct stance. "Alright now go ahead and relax and try to get back into that stance again when I tell you.

"Yes sir." I said nodding and relaxed.

"Alright try again."

This time I was able to get back into the proper shooting stance with much fewer mistakes.

"Let's try that one more time. If you don't get this right you could snap your wrist when you shoot, or you'll be off balance when you fire which will make any consecutive shots you have to take miss."

I was able to get the proper stance easily the next time. He made me go through that exercise a few more times just to make sure that I had it down right.

"Alright now lets give you some targets." The Sergeant raised up his omni-tool and a holographic target appeared down range.. "Don't try and go for headshots or any trick shots for now, just aim for center of mass and pull the trigger and we'll see how you do."

I gave a slight nod and lined up the sights on the center of my target. I quickly squeezed off three rounds and stood up.

"Hey you're not too bad kid." The Sergeant said. He fiddled with his omni-tool and suddenly the target was right in front of me. Only one of my shots was right in the middle the other two were in the next outer zone though so I felt pretty good.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have learned a new Basic Combat Skill: Heavy Pistol Proficiency_

 ** _Heavy Pistol Proficiency (lvl 1 0.0%):_** _Grants the use of Heavy Pistols. Grants bonus damage with Heavy Pistols and a bonus to your ACC when using them._

 _+10% Damage with Heavy Pistols_

 _\+ 5% ACC when using Heavy Pistols_

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have complete the primary objective on Gilo'Takkan's Assignment_

 _The secondary objective is still incomplete_

 _Rewards: 150 EXP, 100 Credits_

 _Renown increase with Gilo'Takkan_

 _Renown increase with Migrant Fleet Marines._

* * *

I sat there and looked at timer on my omni-tool it read 00:00:34:56 which would give me plenty of time to complete the secondary objective. If I completed it I would probably gain some more experience.

"Hey kid what are you going to do right now?" the Sergeant asked.

"I was going to go talk with some of the Marines and see if they had any advice for me before I went down to the planet." I said.

The sergeant nodded his head in understanding, "I see, how much time do you have before you have to see the XO?"

"About half an hour." I replied.

"I see. Tell you what kid. You could do that or you can stay here with me and try and get all three shots in the center of the Target. If you do, I'll give you something for your trouble."

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _The Sergeant Korvan'Geralt has offered you a Challenge._

 _If you can hit the center three times in a row with the Heavy pistol he'll reward you. However if you accept this challenge you will be unable to complete the Secondary objective of your current Assignment._

 _Successful rewards: 150 EXP, ?, increase renown with Korvan'Geralt,_

 _Failure Penalties: None_

 _Accept? Y/N_

* * *

It was really tempting to accept the Sergeant 's Challenge, but my _The Mind of the Gamer_ skill was telling me that if did then I would be disappointing the XO if I just ignored the Secondary Objective of his Assignment.

"I'm sorry Sergeant , but the XO's assignment has to come first. Would it be possible for me to come back after my mission and take you up on that Challenge though?" I said as I pressed No on the notification panel

"Hahaha. Good lad. That's right ship duties come first. You can come find me any time I'm on duty here at the range I'll be happy to let you try."

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have turned down the Sergeant's Challenge, but with your respectful words you have earned his respect. He will allow you to comeback and take his Challenge at a later time._

 _Rewards: +1 CHA, increase renown with Korvan'Geralt_

* * *

"You hold onto that pistol, your going to need it when you go down to the planet. I'll fill out the forms for you to get it checked out of the armory, just be careful with it, and make sure you bring it back as soon as your done with it.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _Korvan'Geralt has given you an Assignment_

 _The Sergeant has let you borrow the (Worn Out Edge 1) from the armory, and orders that you bring it back to him as soon as your done with it._

 _Successful Rewards: Increase renown with Korvan'Geralt, 50 EXP_

 _Failure Penalties: Decrease Renown with Korvan'Geral, 500 Credits_

 _Accept? Y/_ _N_

* * *

With the 'No' grayed out I had no choice but to accept the Assignment. As soon as I had I made my way over to the Marines that were still practicing. I had a pretty short conversation with the few that weren't firing there guns.

"Hear take this." One of them said. "It's a standard Suit Puncture Kit for us Marines. Hopefully you won't have to use it."

"Thank you." I said.

"Don't worry about it. That's the one thing we make sure to have plenty of, so you can have that one."

I clipped the little case to my waist. By the time I was done talking with the Marines I'd gotten the puncture kit, some Field Rations (Quarian), and a Small Knife that I had on my back. When I was done I'd gotten the notification saying I'd completed the Secondary Objective of the XO's Assignment. I received an additional 75 EXP plus all the items I'd gotten from the Marines.

I pulled up my omni-tool and went through my list of available contacts. I only had two, the XO Gilo'Takkan and Sergeant Korvan'Geralt, I selected Gilo from the list and placed a call.

 _"Tola. I hope you're ready?"_

"Yes sir. I've just got done with the Marines and I'm ready to go."

 _"Good. Meet us in the ships hanger we'll leave as soon as you get here."_ He said.

"Understood sir." With that I took off through the ship. Quarian ships are full of people it felt like trying to run through a New York City street. I got a couple of indignant shouts when I surprised some people but pretty soon I found a pattern and suddenly I was weaving in an out of the crowds.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _Through completing a successful action you have Learned a new Skill_

 ** _Crowd Dodging (lvl 1 0.0%):_** _You've learned to weave in an out of a Crowd while moving at full speed._

 _Activation Cost: 30 SP + 2 SP/Sec while active_

 _+20% FLX while moving through crowds while Active_

* * *

With my new skill active I quickly tired out and but I was able to make great time through the ship. My Stamina gave out just as I reached the lift that would take me to the hanger. While I waited for the elevator to descend I stood still and watched my Stamina slowly come back by the time the doors opened my Stamina had regenerated half way. I definitely need to put more point into my Endurance is a simple sprint through a ship tired me out that bad.

"That was quick. Are you ready to go?" Gilo asked me as walked up.

"Yes sir." I said.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have been added to Gilo'Takkan Mission_

 _Savage Salvage_

 _The Tenkuku Has found some old military hardware on the planet's surface. You have joined a team of engineers on the surface in an attempt salvage what you can._

 _Objectives_

 _Find the military probe down on the planet's surface and salvage what you can_

 _Successful Reward: 1000 EXP, Renown increase with Tenkuku, Renown increase with Migrant Fleet Marines, 1000 Credits_

 _Failure Penalty: ?_

* * *

I raised an eye brow at the penalties for the mission. It was the first time I'd run into a situation where I was nervous about my situation. I didn't like not knowing what would happen to me if we failed this mission.

We got on board the shuttle and left for the planet.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have entered a Mission Zone you can not leave until the mission is completed._

* * *

"Alright people let's move out and get this done quickly. We need to get back to the Tenkuku as fast as possible." Gilo called out.

"Sir." One of the three marines that were already down on the planet joined us. "Follow me I'll show you where it is."

We followed the marine as we made our way across the surface of the planet. Apparently they probe was in some kind of crevice and we couldn't land the shuttle any closer. We made our way down and got to work.

"What is it?" Gilo asked one of the engineers.

"It's some kind of com probe, but it's just transmitting an alert signal. It's in pretty good shape. Judging by the rust I'd say it's been here for about three weeks or so." She said.

"That's not a lot of time you'd think that who ever lost it would have come down here and found it." I said.

"Not really kid. Most of the military's in the galaxy don't need to scrape and salvage everything they can to get by. Chances are whoever it belongs to have a surplus of these things and they just wrote it off." Gilo said to me. He turned back to the female engineer. Her name was Xela'Torv, Quarian Engineer, lvl 9. "What can we get from it?"

She though for a moment before she finally answered, "We can't take the whole thing with us that's for sure, but we can get the power supply and the control boards at least. If it has any eezo onboard I'll grab that too if a can."

"Good." Gilo, who was level 27, turned to me and said, "Tola, stay here and help Xela however you can. I'm going to talk with the Marines." I nodded and grabbed some of the tools.

We got to work. Pretty soon we had the cover pulled off and started working on the interior. I found that _The Mind of the Gamer_ skill allowed me to perform basic mechanical task's that any Quarian could do. It was a pretty cool skill.

"I found the power source." I said pointing at the large cylindrical object.

"Good grab it and I'll finish up with these control boards then we can pull out the eezo core and be done."

I did as she asked. As I was putting device in one of the cases we brought I had a thought and used _Observe_ on it.

* * *

 _Beacon Power Supply._

 _The power supply for a Batarian made beacon. Serial Number: HMS 89002-CP-0088_

* * *

Batarian? Why the hell would the Batarian's leave a beacon lying around? Oh CRAP!

"Bosh'tet!" I yelled. "Xela that's a Batarian Beacon not a military probe!" I yelled as I scrambled back over the edge.

"Kheela! Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes! We need to go right now!"

She pulled up her omni-tool "Gilo we need to dust off right now. This isn't a probe it's a beacon." She talked as she and I grabbed all the tools.

"How do you know?" Gilo asked sounding worried.

"There's a serial number on the power supply it begins with _HMS,_ Hegemony Military Services." I explained. I had no idea if that was correct but I was going to trust my observe skill and roll with it.

"Get back to the shuttle we're leaving. I'll call the Captain." Gilo said.

We quickly pulled ourselves up. Xela grabbed the tools and I snagged the case holding the power supply and we started running. I watched as my Stamina started dropping at an alarming rate. Carrying the crate was tiring me out. If my stamina dropped to zero I wouldn't even be able to run, but I didn't want to drop the case. My _The Mind of the Gamer_ skill was making me want to hold onto it until the last possible second. Soon enough we saw the shuttle it was already powered up and the marines were on board. When they saw us coming one of the marines jumped out and grabbed the case from me and together we made it onboard just as my stamina gave out. I stumbled over to one of the seats and fumbled with the safety harness.

We took off and started heading towards the Tenkuku. Just as I was starting to relax I heard the Pilot say, "Sir, the relay's gone active. I've got two Batarian frigates and one cruiser on the sensors."

"Kheela." I heard Xela gasp.

"We'll make it." I said.

"Pilot?" Gilo asked.

"It'll be close sir. If we had waited for them to show up before we left we wouldn't have made it, but we should have just enough time to land and go to FTL before they get the Tenkuku.

I sat back and felt the tension in my body drain out when I heard the pilot say we were going to make it.

Gilo stood next to me "That was some fast thinking Tola. I don't want to think about what would have happened if those Batarians had gotten ahold of us while we were on the planet."

"Nothing good sir." I agreed.

"Your name's Tola?" One of the marines asked, it was the same one that had grabbed the case from me and helped me on board.

"Yes."

"I'm impressed kid. That case was heavy. I'm amazed you managed to run all the way here with it."

I laughed, "Yeah well fear and adrenaline can do that."

"Still you recognized that the beacon was a trap, without your warning we would have probably ended up as slaves or worse. Thank you." He said griping my forearm. Quarians don't hand shake like humans do, instead they grab each others forearms. It's a gesture of trust and friendship because it requires the two people to be standing almost face to face. Unfortunately for me I was a good five inches shorter than the marine.

As soon as we docked I felt a subtle shift in the deck plates as the Tenkuku jumped to FTL to get around behind the Batarians and hit the relay.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have successfully completed the Mission: Savage Salvage_

* * *

I couldn't help but smile as my tool lit up with the message.

 **A/N: So here we are Chapter 3. And we have a chance for reader impute. In the next chapter The Gamer will pick a Profession. If you're feeling creative please leave a review giving a detailed description of a profession you'd like him to choose, please be mindful that in order for this to work it needs to be something that I can realistically work into the story. Hopefully this'll work and I can get some good feedback otherwise I'll just come up with something my self. I'll wait until 7-3-15 11:59PM CT. After that I'll look at all the entries and pick one. Thanks for all your support and I hope we can keep this going.**


	5. Chapter 4: Getting Started

**Chapter 4: Getting Started**

* * *

After completing the mission I was invited up to the bridge to meet with the Captain. I was a little nervous. Captains have absolute authority over their ships and are held with the highest esteem by their crews.

"Don't be nervous." Gilo said.

"That's like telling a Vorcha to not be angry." I replied.

Gilo laughed a bit. "Don't worry. The Captain just wants to thank you for everything you did back on the surface."

"I'll try sir." I said.

We spent the rest of the trip in silence. Eventually we made it to the bridge and Gilo announced us.

"Captain I've brought Tola." He said.

The captain was reading a report on a data pad. She closed down the report and waved us forward.

"Tola, I hear that we have you to thank for the early warning about the Batarians."

"I just put two and two together ma'am." I said.

"Maybe." The captain agreed. "But your quick thinking saved a lot of Quarian lives, which says a lot about you and your character."

"Thank you ma'am." I said.

"No. Thank you Tola. You've shown a maturity beyond your years. Which is why I've decided to give you access to the ship's Assignment Board." She said as she brought up her omni-tool. "Here on the Tenkuku each department has a full time staff to handle the operations of the ship, but like all the ships in the Fleet we have an abundance of qualified workers. The Assignment Board is where the crew and different departments can place Assignments that they need done. I usually only allow individuals that have completed their Pilgrimages' to have access, but I think you've earned the right. You'll now be able to look through the Assignments for your self and submit your Ship's ID as an applicant for a job. You'll be rewarded with credits that you can use to requisition materials and parts for personal projects or even use them as payments for your own Assignments." She paused. "This is a big responsibility. Successfully completing Assignments will raise your status with the crew. As that status grows you be trusted with more and more difficult tasks."

"I understand Captain." I said. On the inside I was freaking out. I now had access to the Job Board, with that I could begin to grind my levels and learn new skills.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have gained access to the Assignment Board: Tenkuku_

 _Using it you will be able to gain access to Assignment Board for the ship and the crew. Each successfully completed work order will increase your Renown with the Tenkuku crew. Failing to complete an Assignment Board will decrease your Renown with the Tenkuku crew._

* * *

"Good. Here is your Ship ID. It'll automatically update every time to complete, or fail, an Assignment. I expect every member of my crew to hold themselves to a higher standard than most."

"I understand Captain. I won't disappoint you." I said enthusiastically.

"I know you won't." She said.

I was about to leave when a question popped into my head. "Captain, if you don't mind me asking, what are we doing about beacon we found?"

The Captain clenched her fist's in agitation, "We're heading back to the Fleet. We need to warn them about that beacon so that others can be on look out for anymore traps like that."

"I see." I turned around to leave when suddenly the Captain stopped me.

"Oh Tola."

"Yes Captain."

"I've decided to give you the power supply we recovered. Gilo tells me that you were the one that brought it back on your own. Given the circumstances I think you should have it. Use it well."

I was shocked at what the Captain had given me, "I will Captain."

"Good now get some rest. You've earned it."

With that I left the bridge and went back to the quarters I shared with a large number of the crew. I spent some time fooling around on my omni-tool looking at the Assignment Board. They had everything there. I could go and work on repairing a power conduit in someone's personal quarters, I could go help the Cargo Master move some crates around, or I could go deliver a package for someone. The Tenkuku was a cargo ship of Turian design making the keel length about 800 meters long. The original crew compliment would have been about two hundred or so, but now that the Quarians have it had been converted into a cruiser. The Tenkuku had two main weapons that had stripped from some derelict frigate's and incorporated into the hull, and in all the point defenses and the Tenkuku, while considered a Dreadnaught in size, was considered a cruiser in throw weigh making it a solid vessel. The total crew compliment was about 600 or so. Meaning at any given time there were about 50 or 60 different Assignments. I smiled and ordered my suit to cleanse itself, while not as good as a shower, it would clean the sweat and stink from my body. With that done I slowly went to sleep.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have awoken well rested your HP and SP are fully restored_

* * *

I woke up and smiled as I recalled the events of what happened yesterday. I went and perused the Assignment Board. Most of the Assignments were unavailable to me because I either didn't have the necessary skills or my Renown wasn't high enough, but there were a few that I could do right away. I decided that the first thing I would do would be to return the pistol I had taken from the Armory to Korvan then I would focus on completing some work orders.

One of the things I found was that not only could I complete Assignments but I could also enroll myself in classes covering a variety of topics such as Basic Shipboard Operations, Basic Infantry Operations, and Basic Engineering. I wasn't able to take all three classes at the same time so I chose Basic Infantry Operations which was a five month course and Basic Engineering which was a ten month course. During my mornings I'd go and complete Assignments and increase my renown, and in the afternoons I'd attend lessons. It was like being back in collage again only this time I'd be learning Skills instead of a major.

After I'd finished my meal, which consisted of a tube that was supposed to taste like some kind of egg, I ran to the Armory to see Korvan and return the pistol, which earned me a point for my END increasing my stamina.

"Tola. I heard about what happened on your Mission how are you?" He asked

"I'm fine Korvan. Here I came to return this." I said handing over the pistol he'd given me.

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you."

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have completed Korvan'Geralt's Assignment_

 _Rewards: Increase renown with Korvan'Geralt, 50 EXP._

* * *

"Tola, have you though about trying my Challenge yet?" Korvan asked.

"Yeah I have, after what happened on the planet I want to be more prepared in case I need to protect myself."

"Good. Do you have time right now?" He asked.

"Truthfully, I was planning on taking some Assignments but I figured that this might be a little more important." I said.

"Well come on back and give it a shot." Korvan said.

He took me to the Firing range and handed me the worn out pistol from before. I took a deep breath and started shooting. I didn't get it the first time, or the second. As I was shooting I gained experience in my _Heavy Pistol Proficiency._ I managed to get it to level 6 before I'd finally got three rapid fire shots into the center of the target.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have completed Korvan'Geralt's Challenge_

 _Rewards: 150 EXP, Worn Out Edge 1, increase renown with Korvan'Geralt,_

* * *

 _You have learned a new skill by performing an Action_

 ** _Rapid Fire Shot Heavy Pistols (lvl 1 0.0%):_** _You fire a quick burst of shots that automatically hit from your weapon dealing an a massive amount of damage, but at the cost of generating more heat than normal._

 _Number of shots fired: 3_

 _+10% Damage_

 _+25% Heat generation per shot_

 _Activation cost: 20 SP_

* * *

"Good job son. Tell you what, you can keep that old pistol. I know it's not the best."

"Isn't this part of the armory though? Can you just give it to me like that?" I asked.

"Normally I wouldn't, but it's in bad shape and the Lieutenant told me to scrap it."

Sweet. I checked my tool to see what time it was. It was too late for me to try and accept any Assignments, but it was too early for me to go and get lunch.

"Korvan, do you mind if I keep practicing here until lunch?" I asked.

"Of course not." He said leaving me.

I continued to train at the firing range until lunch time. During that time I'd managed to level up my new skill once and got it half way to level three. I also increased my ACC by shooting at the targets. When it was time for lunch. I quickly returned to the mess and grabbed some lunch. Afterwards I ran to a small area in the cargo hold that my Basic Engineering Course would take place.

* * *

That was how my life went for the next months. During the day I would perform work orders most of which would give me a pithing amount of EXP and ship credits, but what was more rewarding was the chance to learn and level up a variety of new skills.

The two courses I took, Basic Infantry Operations and Basic Engineering, gave me a number of Combat and Engineering skills respectfully each of witch I had leveled up between 5 and 8. By attending those classes I was also able to increase a good majority of my stats.

* * *

 ** _Basic Engineering (lvl 8 85.3%):_** _Increases the proficiency of all other Engineering Skill increasing the chance of successfully completing your task and reducing the amount of time it takes for completion._

 _+4% Chance for success when using an Engineering skill_

 _Reduces time to complete tasks when using an Engineering skill by 4%_

 _Passively increases INT by 6% when performing an Engineering Skill_

 ** _Fabrication (lvl 6 34.2%):_** _Allows you to use a variety of machining tools to design and fabricate parts._

 _Higher levels allow you to create more and more complex parts and increases your chance to successfully create parts._

 ** _Computer System Design (lvl 5 56.0%):_** _Allows the creation of basic computer system's and computer programs_

 _Higher levels allow you to create more and more complex systems and programs._

 ** _Basic Mass Effect Technology (lvl 6 48.5%):_** _Grants an understanding of Element Zero and mechanical systems that use it._

 _Allows the construction of Kinetic Barrier Emitters, Mass Effect Drivers, and Mass Effect Cores._

 _Higher levels allow the construction of more powerful Mass Effect technologies._

 ** _Small Squad Tactics (lvl 7 9.3%):_** _Grants basic organization of small squads allowing you to boost their combat effectiveness when in command._

 _Boosts squad mate weapon damage by 3.5%_

 _Boosts squad mate ACC by 3.5%_

 ** _Coordinated Attack (lvl 8 56.2%):_** _Your squad mates recognize your intent and attack a single target with a devastating attack power combo._

 _Your squad mates each unleash an attack at the same time at your chosen target._

 _Boosts power damage of squad mates by 8% while attacking_

 _Cost 10 SP_

 ** _Close Quarters Combat (lvl 7 67.9%):_** _Grants bonuses to close quarters fighting._

 _While active grants you +7% ACC with shotguns_

 _Increases damage with shotguns by 7%_

 _Cost: 5 SP/sec_

* * *

I soon learned that increasing my stamina would be essential to being an effective soldier. Nearly every skill required a portion of my stamina. I found that at a dead sprint I consumed 10 SP/sec meaning I could run for about 15 seconds before I had to stop. When I hit that limit I couldn't do anything. I could walk and move but I there was no way for me to move any faster. If I stood still I would regenerate about .5% of my SP per second. Meaning I would have to sit completely still for 200 seconds for it to recover fully. If I ran at a light jog the amount of SP consumed went down to 10 SP/ minute. Jogging increased my VIT and my END. The problem was that there's not a whole lot of room to run onboard. I had to get creative on how to train. Eventually I found small store room that, when I moved some of the crates around, gave me enough room to run around. Once I got my END above 10 it took a lot more running to gain a point, combine that with the fact that I was attending classes and doing assignments left and right I had only managed to get my END up to 15 meaning I only had 300 SP. At the same time I got my VIT up to 11 bringing my HP up to 220.

I had amassed a number of credits and good number of raw materials that I could use for crafting. It was the late at night and I'd just finished my Basic Engineering course. Finishing my engineering and my Basic Infantry courses had earned me enough EXP to level up four times and I was wondering what I should spend my stat points on. Over all I had learned quite a lot I'd even been allowed to work with the Migrant Fleet Marines performing inspections of any trade goods that the Tenkuku purchased, but I had this sinking feeling that I was no where good enough to be considered part of Commander Shepard's Crew yet. If I wanted to join up I would need to gain combat experience. I'd been paying attention to levels of a few of the Marines and it seemed that when ever they went out on a mission their levels would jump one or two times over the course of each mission. Before I could join them on combat missions however I had to be able to fight a lot better than I was currently able.

I was reading a paper by a Salarian named Pulus about force multiplication. It as a fairly simple concept, it involved the idea that the strength of an army was not limited to the amount of combat capable assets in a fire fight. Instead a commander had to take into account the ability of the enemy to call in things like heavy fire support, intelligence gathering abilities, the ability to use the terrain to their advantage, etc., and the ability to use them correctly. Pulus hypothesized that a small well rounded force that was equipped to handle a multitude of situations and could adapt to their changing environment quickly would be able to out perform a much larger force.

That got me thinking. The whole time I'd been training I'd been trying to find a way to turn myself into a perfect soldier. What if instead of me being a perfect soldier I instead had someone to back me up that could cover my blind sides and react with precision and speed far better than I? I wouldn't have to be the perfect soldier good at only one thing, instead I could have someone backing me up and have us both work together which would allow us to be more effective.

Suddenly I had a thought. I started and extranet search on mech design which lead me to another Salarian that was commenting on effectiveness of mech's as a security force. I highlighted the comments he made and added them to a document I'd made. I spent the next few hours adding notes, a parts list, and cost estimates. When I was done I felt a smile cross my face. I saved everything I had with a bit of nostalgia under the name: Project Chappie.

I woke up the next morning and swiped away the screen telling me about me being fully rested. I opened up my plans that I'd been fooling around with last night and started looking at them. I spent some of my credits and purchased an OSD on VI programing.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have purchased a Skill Disk_

 _Would you like to learn this skill_

 ** _VI Programing (Advanced Engineering Skill):_** _VI's are everywhere. Their use and effectiveness is based upon the skill of the programmer._

 _Prerequisites: Basic Engineering, Computer System Design, INT 35_

 _Accept? Y/N?_

* * *

My INT was siting at 18 at the moment and I had twenty points to spend. I quickly upped my INT to meet the requirements and hit accept. Suddenly my brain was assaulted with information. Lines of code circled around me and now had access to information that moments ago had not been there. My eye's widened at how easily my knew knowledge flowed into my mind. I quickly sat down and started fiddling with my omni-tool and wrote a quick program that I could give voice commands to that would me to perform extranet searches and organize data. I named the new VI Kora.

"Kora." I said.

"Yes how my I be of assistance?" the VI said. Her face appeared on my omni-tool. Most of her head was hidden is shadows, anyone looking at her could have easily mistaken her for an Asari or a Quarian without their helmet.

"I want you to run a search on mech design. Focus your search on small bipedal unit classifications, along with any relevant data pertaining to upgrades and weaponry." I ordered.

"Searching. . . Complete would you like me to display the relevant data?" Kora asked.

I gave her a grin, "Yes."

It took me over a week to comb through all the data the Kora had given me. I spent most of that time at a small work table I had acquired in the ships' workshop. In the end I had designed a heavy bipedal mech that was covered head to tow in thick armor plates. The design had been based on the LOKI chassis that I had upgraded to be broader in the shoulder and slightly taller. The optics of the original design were completely scrapped were replaced with a newer design I had come up with on the fly. Protruding from the side of the head were a pair of sensor nodes that looked like a pair of ears. Behind the chest plate powering the whole contraption was the Batarian power supply I'd picked up way back when.

"Kora, give me an estimate budget of building cost and a time table for fabrication." I said.

"Calculating. . . Done. Estimated cost for construction of Project Chappie is 50,000 credits. Time to completion is estimated to be ten months, for one person working full time." Kora answered.

I looked at the funds available to me and my heart sank I only had about half of the credits and supplies I needed to begin working.

"Kora correct your time table to include time spent gathering necessary materials and funds to complete fabrication."

"Recalculating. . . Estimated time to completion of project to be one year four months." Kora said.

I nodded. I compared the amount of time it would take for me to complete my customized combat mech with how much time I had until Eden Prime. If everything worked out I'd finish my project just in time for me begin thinking about heading on my pilgrimage from there I'd be another two years or so before the galaxy got it's first taste of Saren and he Geth.

I took one last look at Chappie. I'd kept the design as close to the original I'd seen in the movie as possible but now it looked more like a strange cross between Briareos and Chappie. The mech was covered in thick armor plates that I could remove and replace as needed. Capable of lifting almost a thousand pounds and quick enough to beat Thane Krios in a quick draw Chappie was going to be an amazing mech. I felt proud of what I'd designed and I couldn't wait to see the looks on peoples faces when he went into Combat for the first time. All he needed now was a VI to guide him.

"Lets get to work. Kora download the time table to my omni-tool and keep me updated on the progress of the build." I said as I turned to the milling machine to my right.

 **A/N: I know it's been a while since my last update sorry about that. Got in an accident and life basically threw me a few curve-balls, but I'm back. I know I said that in this Chapter I would give the Gamer His profession, but I couldn't really work it in, but I'll have it in next time I promise. Let me know what you guys think so far. I know not a whole lot goes on here but the next one will have more action that you all love so much. Please leave your comments in the review section.**


	6. Chapter 5: Betrayal

**Chapter 5: Betrayal**

* * *

 _Character Sheet_

 _The Gamer lvl 5_

 ** _Stats_**

 _Strength (STG): 9_

 _Vitality (VIT): 11_

 _Endurance (END): 15_

 _Intelligence (INT): 35_

 _Accuracy (ACC): 14_

 _Charisma (CHA): 8_

 _Flexibility (FLX): 6_

 _Biotic Aptitude (BIA): -_

 _Points: 3_

 ** _Attributes_**

 _Health: 120/120 (VIT*20)_

 _Stamina: 300/300 (END*20)_

* * *

Sparks were flying as I worked a grinder up and down the part I was finishing. The piece would eventually become part of the leg assembly for Chappie, the custom mech I was building. Which, over the past week, had me thinking about the name. I had put a lot of work into Chappie and I wanted his name to be more than just a nostalgic hit, I wanted his name to mean something. If things went right Chappie might one day become sentient, when that happened I wanted him to be inspired by his name, so I gave him three. Chappie's new name was Chappie Sonny Briareos. One day I hoped that Chappie might look up his namesakes and be inspired by their stories and become something great, but first things first he needed to be built.

"Tola!" I turned off the grinder when I hear my name called out. I looked over my shoulder and saw Gilo'Takkan waiting for me.

"Yes sir." I turned and faced him. I hadn't seen the XO since that first mission he and I shared back when I first began.

He stepped up and brought over a data pad, "Tola you recently placed a requisition order for a number of parts with the ship's quarter master correct?"

"Yes sir." I admitted, "It's for a special project I'm working on."

"I understand, kid." Gilo said. "The problem is that some these items on this list we just don't have on hand. The quarter master had to order them from Illium. I'm about to go there and drop off a few Pilgrims if you want those parts you're going to have to come with me and load them onto the shuttle yourself. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _Your XO has given you an Assignment_

 _You've ordered a number of parts recently, and you have to go and get them your self. Luckily Gilo'Takkan vas Tenkuku is willing to take you with him as he completes his own Assignment. However you'll have to load the crates yourself._

 _Rewards: Crate containing Mech Parts, Exp 300_

 _Failure: Loss of mech Parts, Lose Renown with Gilo'Takkan._

 _Accept? Y/N_

* * *

I hit yes quickly and asked, "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, don't be late or I'll leave you behind." The words were serious, but I knew Gilo was smiling behind his visor. To date, I haven't been late to a single lecture, or an Assignment.

"I'll make sure I'm there sir."

"Good lad." With that Gilo turned around and quickly left me behind.

I quickly turn back around and put up the Mech parts I'd been working on. I loaded them into a crate near my work table and locked them up. I ran to the Armory to meet up with Korvan'Geralt. The last time I left the ship I only had a pistol, and even though I hadn't been in combat I had regretted it immensely. I planned on having at least a shotgun this time.

"Hey Korvan." I said as I walked in.

"Tola, how are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Korvan I need to get a shotgun. I'm going to Illium tomorrow with Gilo and I'd feel a lot better having something with a little more stopping power than this." I said patting my pistol affectionately. I'd spent weeks tweaking on the gun putting my Advanced Weapon Design and newfound engineering skills to the test. I'd managed to remove the 'Worn Out' part of the pistol's name and it now sported the name 'Tola's Customized Edge'.

* * *

 _Tola's Customized Edge_

 _A pistol manufactured by Elkoss Combine. Designed by the Volus to Turian standards. Although not the most powerful, this line of pistols is preferred by turians for their reliability and their high heat capacity. This pistol has been in the hands of skilled Quarian and has been modified to suit his particular tastes._

 _Damage: 185_

 _Shots before Overheat: 4.1_

 _Durability: 76/80_

 _Accuracy profile: 4.9_

 _Accuracy Rating: 4.9*ACC = 68.6_

* * *

Korvan nodded, "I agree, there's no such thing as being over prepared, unfortunately unless Gilo or the Captain sign's off I can't open the Armory except for practice. You'll have to ask either one of them first."

"I got it." I said, "I'll be back in a bit." I turned around and walked over to the corner where I could have a little bit of privacy for my call.

 _"Tola, what can I do for you."_ Gilo asked.

"Sir, I'm at the armory. Before we leave tomorrow I'd like your permission to check out a shotgun for tomorrow. Last time I went off ship I only had a pistol and I'd prefer to have something with a little more power than that just in case something goes wrong."

Gilo was quiet for a few seconds, _"I understand why you'd be nervous Tola, but I'm not expecting any trouble during our trip, it'll take us twelve hours to reach Illium. Once we've dropped off the Pilgrims we'll be returning just as quickly, we shouldn't have any trouble at the port, bedside's the Pilgrims will be nervous enough as it is, if it weren't for the fact that your pistol is personal property I'd ask you to leave it behind too."_

I nodded in understanding, but pressed on with my argument, "I see what your saying sir, still I know I'd rather have a heavier weapon on board and not need it, than need one and not have it. I don't need to carry it on me, I can store it in the weapon's locker on the shuttle I can even leave my pistol in there with it if it makes you feel better."

 _"Out of sight, out of mind. Alright Tola, I'll send word over right now, but I want you to put the shotgun onboard tomorrow morning before I get there with the Pilgrims understood?"_

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _+1 CHA_

* * *

"Yes sir. I understand." I said. With that I closed the vid call and went back to Korvan.

"Gilo just sent word for me to let you check out a shotgun out of the armory. Here's the form you need to fill out." Korvan said handing over a Data Pad.

It took half and hour before I was finally allowed to get the shotgun out of the armory. When I was finally done I took it and my pistol into the Firing Range to get some last minuet practice in.

I leveled up my Rapid Fire Shot Heavy Pistols skill up to level 10 which increased the additional damage to +15% but had also increased the number of shots I fired to 5. When I used it I would overheat my gun which would lower the durability of my weapon. So far I hadn't managed to learn how to perform a Carnage shot with the shotgun yet, but with a _Shotgun Proficiency_ of only level 5 I figured it was only a matter of time.

I spent the rest of the day in the Firing Range practicing, if something happened tomorrow I wanted to be as high a level as possible.

* * *

"Tola are you ready to leave?" I looked up at Gilo and the group of three Pilgrims that were going to be leaving the Tenkuku.

I had been working on Chappie's VI and hadn't heard him approach. "Yes sir." I saved my work and joined the group as we boarded the Turian made shuttle. Gilo motioned me to join him up front in the cockpit and I left the Pilgrims to their own devices and joined him up front.

"Tola, did you do what I ask?" Gilo said.

"Yes sir. My pistol and the shotgun are both in the weapon locker and its been keyed to my omni-tool." I said.

"Good lad. It's going to be a long trip why don't you try and get some rest." He said.

"I will in a little while sir. I want to keep working on this for a bit." I sat back and pulled up Chappie's VI program and went back to tinkering. I knew that I would have to level up my VI Programing skill by quite a bit if I wanted to complete Chappie's personality, luckily just working on a VI program gained me experience. Gilo chuckled for a bit and went back to flying.

* * *

I'd fallen asleep at some point on the trip. Somehow I'd ended up in passenger compartment with the Pilgrims. Something was wrong though. I'd have thought that most pilgrims would have been excited to be going on their pilgrimage but instead they were all asleep. Some were in a pretty uncomfortable position.

I pulled up my omni-tool and saw that there was a small flashing alert on it.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You have been drugged._

 _Your stats have been reduced while you suffer from the effects from the drug._

* * *

"What the . . ." I said in confusion. I tried to think back to the last thing I had been doing. I had been sitting in the cockpit with Gilo. We were about six hours in when he told me to go in the back and give everyone some food and to get myself some. Someone must have drugged the food tubes! The question was why though?

I looked up and saw the cockpit's door was glowing red meaning the door was locked. Why would Gilo drug us? What was going on? I got up and ran to the panel next to the door and started hacking in. Most of the shuttle's systems were routed to the cockpit through this panel. I needed to hack in and try and find out what was going on.

I quickly found a relay that let me hack into the communication's array.

 _"-at's what you said last time, suit rat!"_ A voice said.

 _"No! It's different this time, I swear. I have what you asked for, please give me a chance!"_ I heard Gilo beg.

 _"Alright fine, your lucky I'm feeling generous today. Here are the new coordinates, meet us there in an hour. If you don't the deal's off."_ The other voice said.

 _"Thank you."_ Gilo said in obvious relief.

I quickly laid back on the floor and hacked into the security cameras and set them up on a loop. I don't know why Gilo had drugged us or what his plans were but I intended to find out. With the loop set up I ran to the weapons locker and cursed. I'd keyed the locker to my omni-tool, but I'd also set up an intricate password as well. Gilo hadn't managed to open the locker, so he instead jammed the electronics by putting his own encryption overtop of mine, I'd need time to open the lock, time I didn't have.

I growled and took stock of what I had on hand which wasn't a whole lot. I had a few tools but nothing that I could easily use as a weapon. I quickly ran over to each of the pilgrims and patted them down. One of them had a knife hidden in her boot. It was the best of a bunch of bad decisions.

* * *

 _Combat Knife_

 _A simple combat knife made for Quarians._

 _Damage: 19_

 _Durability 50/50_

* * *

I took the knife tried to find a way to disguise it on my person. Thinking quickly I pulled out the suit patch kit I had and started working. I couldn't just put the knife in a pocket where I could be searched and have it found. Instead I used the path kit to seal up the pocket. With a little bit of work I could tear open the pocket and get the knife.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _+1 INT_

* * *

I quickly shoved the screen away and laid back down on the floor and turned off the loop for the camera and closed my eyes.

* * *

It was really difficult to lie as still as possible when I felt the shuttle jolt as it landed. I heard the door to the cockpit open and felt Gilo walk around myself and the other pilgrims. Then I heard the other door open.

"Gilo so good to see you again." It was the same voice from earlier. Now that I didn't have the distortion from hacking in a coms panel I could easily place the voice as Batarian. That bastard Gilo was selling us to Batarians! WHY!

It took a lot of will power to keep absolutely still as I felt a pair of hands grab me and start pulling me off the shuttle. I felt my heart go cold as I heard Gilo and the Batarian keep talking.

"So, . . . you'll give me my son back now?" Gilo asked.

"Ha ha ha," The Batarian laughed, "You are so pathetic. You Quarians complain about our practices but you seem perfectly willing to sell out your own kind."

"I don't want to hear that from you Batarian, you took my son as a slave, now I've given you what you want. Give me back my son!"

I could hear the sound of flesh being struck, and Gilo collapsing to the floor. "Don't talk to me like that suit-rat! You and your kind are only fit to serve your betters. Take this piece of trash to the holding cells and put him with the others!"

"No!" Gilo coughed, "We had a deal!"

"Our deal was voided the second your son tried to escape! He spaced himself along with three of my best soldiers!" I could hear Gilo being struck repeatedly. My guess was the Batarian was kicking him. I clenched my fist, powerless to stop what was going on. I had to bide my time and wait for an opportunity. Eventually I'd be alone and I'd be able to do something, but not right now.

I kept still as Batarians dragged me through the ship. Eventually we stopped and I could hear them talking.

"What should we do with this one? All the cells are full." I heard one voice say.

"Grab a pair of those restraints and bring him over here. We'll chain him up to the wall over here. We've had a good haul, we'll be back to Lorek soon. He shouldn't be able to cause too many problems. Besides he's knocked out, by the time he wakes up he'll be on the auctioneer's stand."

I stiffened as they grabbed me again but as soon as I felt myself being moved around I relaxed as I felt myself put into a pair of space age handcuffs. If I was a normal person I'd be freaking out right now, luckily The Mind of the Gamer skill made sure that I was only slightly nervous. I waited until I heard the two voices leave and the bulkhead shut behind them before I tried to open my eye's.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You've found a Hidden Mission_

 _Family Issues_

 _Gilo'Takkan vas Tenkuku is a traitor. In hopes of rescuing his son from Batarian slavers, he willingly handed over you and several other Quarian's to the Batarians. His plan failed now you and the others are captives._

 _Primary Objective: Escaped the Batarian ship by any means possible before you arrive at Lorek._

 _Secondary Objective: Rescue your fellow crewmembers, Rescue as many slaves as possible, Seize the ship._

 _Successful Reward: 1000 EXP, Renown increase with Tenkuku, Renown increase with Migrant Fleet Marines, 5000 Credits_

 _Failure Penalty: Death_

* * *

I looked around I was near the cell the contained my fellow Quarians. Gilo looked to be nocked out and the rest were still asleep from the drugs in their systems. Each one was held up in restraints against the walls. Behind me were a couple of Salarians, in the cell next to me were a few Asari. There were other cells but I was too far away from them to be able to see who was inside. I had been cuffed with my hands through the bars of the cell. I stood up and tried reaching for my hip where I'd hidden the knife. It was awkward but not impossible.

"Good luck kid." I heard a deep bass rumble come from the cell at the far end of the room.

"Excuse me?" I said, "Who's there?"

"My name's Tharn, I'd come see you but I'm a little tied up at the moment." Tharn laughed.

"You a Krogan?"

"Yeah, kid. I heard what they said when they brought you in, figured you were out cold like the rest of your pals. Seems I was wrong."

"Yeah." I twisted my torso. Almost there just another inch or two and I could reach the suit patch. I dug my feet in against the deck plates and pushed up against the bars as hard as I could. I felt my shoulder wrench and saw my HP drop bit, but it was worth it as I felt my hand brush against the top of my pocket. I grabbed on and yanked feeling the top of the patch tear away.

"Kid you alright?" I heard the Krogan ask.

"Yeah just working on a solution." I said softly.

"Sound's like you tore your suit."

"That might be because I did." I said. With the knife in my hand I started working on the cuffs. They were old mechanical things. It wasn't smart to lock a Quarian up with an electronic lock luckily I had something up my sleeve.

"Ha ha you got a quad Quarian." The Krogan said.

I felt the cuff I was working on click and pop open. I stood up and quickly moved to the far cell where the Krogan was. His arms were stretched out wide holding him in place against the far wall. I looked at the lock. It was another simple mechanical lock.

I pulled up the knife and when to work. The Krogan was quiet but I could see the vicious grin on his face. One that I shared for some reason. I felt the lock on his cell open and rushed inside.

"Alright Tharn." I said. "I let you out and you and I are going to work together to cause as much damage to these Batarians as possible. Got it?" I said.

"Why should I help you?" Tharn said.

"Because if you don't you won't stand a chance of escaping this ship. It's going to take both of us to get off this ship. If you just take off from the hanger they'll shoot you down." I said.

The Krogan gave a belly laugh. "You got gut's kid I'll give you that. What's your plan?"

"We need to get to engineering. Once there we shut down the propulsion systems and lockdown the ship." I said.

"That's not bad, but the problem is the Captain has an override protocol synced to his omni-tool. He can lock us in there as soon as we make our move, then he'll just send in his slavers and kill us." Tharn said.

"That's where you come in my big Krogan friend. I need you to get to the bridge as quietly as possible when I give you the signal storm the bridge and take the captain out, with his omni-tool and the engineering section under our control we can lock down the ship. After that we free the slaves and take the shuttles in the hanger deck to escape." I said.

"You think you can take the engineering section by yourself?" Tharn said.

"I'll have to. I will not live as a slave, there are to many things I need to do." I said.

"HA HA HA! Let's do this Quarian!" Tharn said. "I'll follow you for now."

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _You now have a Retainer_

 _Tharn Tomaka_

 _Krogan Shock Trooper lvl 17_

 _Tharn is Krogan of clan Tomaka of Tuchanka. He left his home world in an attempt to make a name for himself off planet, but has instead ended up on the Batarian Slave ship. He's agreed to work with you for the duration of your Mission._

* * *

 **A/N: Hey every one I know it's been a little longer than normal sorry about that. Here it is the next Installment of Mass Effect: The Gamer Edition. LEt me know what you all thank in the review section. I'd like to ask everyone to decide what the Gamer should do with Gilo the traitorous XO. Should he A) Kill Him B) Save him C) Leave him onboard. Let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 6: Into the Breach

**Chapter 6: Into the breach**

* * *

I nodded to the Krogan and set to work on his cuffs. Soon enough we were both free.

"Got any weapons kid?" He asked.

"Just this." I said holding up my knife. "But I have a few stashed in the shuttle I came aboard in. If we can get there, I can hack open the weapon's locker."

Tharn grunted, "The docking bay in on the way to engineering, the bridge is in the opposite direction. Give me that knife, I'll find my own weapons before I storm the bridge. You go get your guns from your shuttle."

I didn't have to guess how he was planning on acquiring his weapons. "Are you going to be able to keep it quiet while you do that?" I asked.

Tharn growled, "I'm sure the Batarians won't raise any objections if I bite off their heads first."

The image of Tharn jumping out of the shadows like a velociraptor from Lost World came to mind. "Sorry I asked." I said handing over my knife, which looked comically small in his massive hand.

"Alright kid, you ready?" Tharn asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I said.

"Good." We made our way over to the door. Just before I opened the lock, Tharn looked at me.

"Hey kid, pro tip. You get in a fight with a Batarian, go for the eyes. It always messes with their heads."

"I'll remember that." I said.

"Good. Now let's get to killing."

I opened the door. I should have expected that there would have been a guard. It only made sense to have someone posted to keep an eye on the new slaves. The door opens and he's standing right in front of it with his back turned to me.

"What the?" The Batarian turns around.

I'm amazed at how fast I react, I stand up and my hand snakes forward and I put two fingers in his eyes with enough force to rock his head back and send him to the ground. He clutches his eyes and starts to scream, but Tharn is there and puts an armored boot to his head. The Batarian falls silent before his voice raises too much commotion.

"Not bad Quarian." Tharn says with approval.

"Thanks." I look down and start running through the Batarians pockets. I find a couple of credits and not much else. His weapons however are another story. He has an assault rifle and a heavy pistol. I use _Observe_ on both of them, which tells me they aren't that great, and hand them both over to Tharn. Chances are he's going to be needing them more than I will.

I grab the Batarians omni-tool and power it on. The guy doesn't even have a password on his tool. It takes me two seconds to empty all the credits in his account and wipe it clean. I hand it over to Tharn, after downloading a map of the ship.

"Stay in touch." I said.

Tharn nods and moves to the hallway, before he leaves though he stops and looks at me, "You got a quad kid. Thanks, for giving me this chance, I've heard stories of what Batarians do to Krogan slaves."

"Tell you what. We get through this, you can buy me a drink and we'll call it even." I said.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _Renown increase with Tharn Tomaka_

* * *

With that the Krogan turns and starts making his way down the hallway and is surprisingly quiet given how heavy he is. Soon enough I follow him but when I reach the end I turn the opposite direction to hanger bay.

I'm nervous as hell right now. All it would take would be for single Batarian spotting me and I'd fail the mission. I hear voices up ahead and I slow down and look for a place to hide. There aren't too many options. I can hear the voices getting closer any second now they could turn the corner up ahead and I'd be spotted.

There's a door to my right. I don't have a better option so dive in. Turns out it's a bathroom, an empty bathroom thankfully. I put my helmet to the door and listen closely and soon enough I can hear a pair of voices walk past the door and down the hallway. I wait until their gone before I let out a sigh. That was too close.

"There has to be a better way of doing this." I mutter. I pull up the map I got from the Batarian earlier and take a good long look. Then I notice that there's a maintenance duct that lead right to the hanger deck, and it just so happens to exit right next to the shuttle I came over in. The entrance is back down the hall from where I came. Even through it takes me closer to the Batarians that just walked past I figure it's better than walking the hallways out in the open.

I walk out of the bathroom and head back down the hallway as quietly as I can. I can see the two Batarians still chatting as they walk. I follow them for a bit before I find the entrance to the maintenance duct. It opens with a quiet hiss and I slip inside and shut it.

"What was that?"

I hold my breath.

"I didn't hear anything." The other one says. "Come on, this ship's old. Some of its falling apart, let's go."

"Yeah your right." The first one says.

"You need to stop playing those horror games man, they're messing with your head."

"You're probably right."

And suddenly I have flashbacks to Alien: Isolation. Thanks assholes.

I turn around and start crawling down the duct. There's not a whole lot of room, and I have to belly crawl my way through some areas.

 _Hey kid. How's it going?_ Tharn messages me.

 _I'm in the maintenance duct right now. Making my way to the hanger bay. You?_ I answer.

 _I'm stuck in a storage room right outside the mess. It must be chow time because there's a lot of them out there. Keep going I'll radio if anything comes up._

 _Got it._ I shut off my omni-tool and continue towards my objective.

I make my way to the hanger bay without any trouble. Luckily the grate above me is slotted to allow easy access to the power conduits so I can see what directly above me. There's one Batarian in the hanger but he's working on a gunship's engine. He doesn't see me as I slowly lift the great above me and open the door to the shuttle. It seems like forever since I was in here last, but it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _By performing a special action you have learned a new skill_

 _You have learned Sneak_

* * *

 ** _Sneak (lvl 1 0.0%):_** _They'll never see you coming. Allows The Gamer to hide his presence and remain undetected while moving._

 _While active makes you harder to detect._

 _Activation Cost: 3 SP/sec_

 _Higher levels make it easier to remain hidden._

 _Note: Moving too fast will deactivate this Skill_

* * *

I pulled up my omni-tool and sent Tharn a message letting him know that I was at the shuttle.

 _I'm not going anywhere. They're still stuffing their faces, luckily I'm not too far from the Bridge._ He responded.

 _Alright send me a message before you head out. I'm going to get my guns and make my way to engineering. I'll make my move as soon as you're ready._ I send back.

 _Good._

I close my omni-tool and walk over to the weapons locker. I see a data pad right next to it and open it up.

 _Marel,_

 _I can't get this danm thing open. As soon as you're done eating go get a plasma cutter and cut this thing open. Hopefully there's some decent weapons in here, or I'm gonna be pissed._

 _Dalin_

"Hate to say it Dalin, you're going to be disappointed." I said.

I sit down and started hacking into the weapons locker. It was slow going. Gilo is obviously a better hacker than I am. The electronic lock is completely scrambled, and it takes me almost half an hour to get the segments of code re-organized. As soon as that's done I enter my original password and grab my pistol and the shotgun I got from Korvan.

I crouch down and activate my Sneak skill. I open the door opens, I see the same Batarian from before still working on the gunship. I smile at my luck and go back to the grate and crawl back into the maintenance shaft.

"Where to next?" I mumble. I pull up the map of the ship again. I can follow this maintenance duct almost all the way to engineering. I start crawling.

* * *

 _I'm as close to Engineering as I can get without giving away my position._ I send to Tharn.

 _Nice work. These pyjaks just got done eating. I'll make my move in a bit. Wait for my signal then hit Engineering. If we move fast enough we can catch them while their still making their way back there. Good luck kid._

I nod to myself and pull out my shotgun. My plan is to use my _Close Quarters Combat_ skill and take out the Batarians that are in Engineering as fast as possible before my stamina wears out.

 _Alright kid this is it. GO!_

Tharn's message comes over loud and clear. I climb out of the duct as quickly as I can. I run to the door leading into Engineering. There's are six Batarians working the consoles. None of which are wearing armor.

I smile at the look on their faces as they take in the sight of Quarian holding a shotgun. I see one start pulling up his omni-tool. I turn the gun on him and squeeze the trigger. The high velocity pellets tear into him right where his lungs should be. Before any of the others could react I move onto the next one and squeeze again and he joins the second one on the deck. I keep firing until the gun overheats. There are still two Batarians standing. I missed one of my shots earlier, because I rushed, so there's one more than there should be. Without thinking I drop my shotgun and pull out my pistol.

By now the last two remaining Batarians have taken cover and I do the same. They also have pistols. I hear a few rounds ping off the wall next to me. My stamina is sitting at 250 so I should be fine if I keep this short. I take a quick peek and see one of them is standing strait up. I turn and use my _Rapid Fire Shot_ on him putting five rounds right in his chest. My gun shrieks as it over heats beyond capacity. I duck back around to let it cool, but the last remaining Batarian has a different idea.

He come rushing around the corner hoping to catch me off guard. Luckily my _Mind of the Gamer_ skill keeps me focused. Instead I shove the gun away and go to poke him in the eyes. He doesn't flinch and instead punches me in the side. I feel my breath come out in a rush.

"Not so fast suit rat! I'm going to make you pay!"

Rather than answer I throw a punch that connects with his jaw, but it doesn't have nearly the desired effect. He kicks me in the gut and I fall back. I land and feel something digging into my side. I realize it's the shotgun I dropped earlier. I grab it and roll to the side before he can stomp my face in. He sees my gun pointed at him and dives to side. I fire and catch a bit of his hip.

"Argh!" he cries as he falls on his side. Before he can get up I pull the trigger again. This time his head explodes and sprays the back wall.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _+900 Exp_

* * *

I let the gun fall from my hands and lay there for a second to catch my breath. My ribs are hurting and I'm pretty sure I sprained my wrist and my ankle at some point. With a groan I sit up and hobble over to the door. I close the door and lock it. I then walk over to the consul and hit the button labeled ' _Emergency Shutdown.'_ I smile as the drive core just stops and I feel the subtle shift in my ear letting me know that the ship has come to a stop.

 _"You alright kid?"_ Tharn calls out on my tool.

"Yeah Tharn. I'm good. How's the bridge?" I ask.

 _"It's secure. I've got the Captain's omni-tool."_

"Good. Go ahead and lock down the ship then open all the doors except the ones that lead to the slave pens, the Bridge, and Engineering. I'll overwrite the security program from here and open the airlocks." I said.

 _"Sounds good kid. Give me a second. There. The ships locked down."_

As soon as Tharn says that I hear pounding on the door. "Not a moment too soon. I got company."

 _"Same here. Get to work. We don't have much time. If they start cutting through the door we're done for."_

"Right." I get to work at the console and start working. As I work I start hearing the pounding get more and more frequent. It sounds like the Batarians are onto us. I finish the last bit of coding and call up Tharn.

"Tharn, it's ready. You good?"

 _"Space 'em."_

I don't need any further encouragement. I activate the program that I just wrote. It unnerves me to hear the constant pounding go silent, but between the knowledge that they had a worse fate in store for me it's hard for me to stay that way for very long.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _+9000 Exp_

* * *

My eyes boggle at the amount of experience I just gained. That's enough to level me up several times over. It seems that killing enemies in combat grants me way more experience than just completing Assignments. If the six Batarians gave me 900 Exp earlier then that means each one was worth 150 exp. That means I must have just killed another sixty Batarians or so. I sit there and think for a bit, sixty Batarians seems like an awfully small crew compliment. Cruisers typically have between 100-200 personnel onboard, depending on the military they serve. If that's the case with these slavers, they I should have gotten almost double that amount. The only think I can think of is that I must have gotten half the usual experience for killing them via computer.

* * *

 _*Ding*_

 _+1 Int_

* * *

"Tharn, it's done."

 _"Any idea where you want to go kid?"_ He asks.

"Yeah. Let me close the hatches and re-initialize the drive core. I'll be up at the bridge in a bit."

* * *

The Bridge was a mess. Tharn was covered in blood. There were bodies all over the place.

"Have fun?" I asked.

Tharn just gave me a creepy laugh. I sat down at the navigation console and plugged in the coordinates for the Migrant Fleet. I knew that chances were we'd run into a Heavy Fleet vessel long before we reached the main body of the fleet. Hopefully they'd talk first before shooting at us.

"Where are we going?" Tharn asked.

"The Migrant Fleet. They'll have the resources to get the slaves somewhere safe. Besides I have a traitor I need to hand over to them."

"What about me?" Tharn asked.

I turned and looked at him. He looked a little twitchy at the idea of going to the Quarian Migrant Fleet. "What's wrong?"

Tharn just growled. "I've worked as a mercenary for a while now. I've killed a few Quarians during that time, at the time it was just business. You kept me from being a slave, and I said I'd follow you but . . ." he trailed off.

"But you'd rather not go to the heart of the Quarian Fleet." I finished.

"Yeah." He said.

"How old are you, Tharn?" I asked.

"I think I'm ninety, maybe a hundred." He admitted.

My eye's widened, that was extremely young for a Krogan. It bothered me a bit that he admitted to killing Quarians, but without his help there was no way I would have been able to take the ship.

"Can you fly a shuttle?" I ask.

"I can plot a course through a relay, and I can land, but not very well." He says.

"Come with me."

Together the two of us make our way the hanger bay. We spend the entire time in silence. I don't speak until we reach the shuttle I took from the Migrant Fleet.

"Take this." I said.

Tharn looked at me, eyes wide. "What?"

"Take this and go home to Tuchanka. Stay there for a few years and learn something." I said.

"Why are you doing this?" Tharn asked.

"Because, I know what it's like to be in over your head." I said. "I don't think you're a bad person Tharn. Sure you've done some questionable things, so have I. Hell I just spaced an entire crew and I don't feel bad about that. Nobody's perfect Tharn. You helped me, now I'm returning the favor. Take whatever credits you got from the Captain's omni-tool and just go."

Tharn's eye's narrowed for a bit, "You're alright for a Quarian Marine, you know that?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "I'm no marine. I'm only 15." I said,

Tharn's eyes widened for a bit, then he too started laughing. "What's your name Quarian?"

"Tola'Nor nar Tenkuku, at your service." I said with a dramatic flair.

Tharn laughed out loud. "Tola if you ever need me, just call. I'll crack a few heads for you, or maybe more."

"Just do me a favor Tharn. Keep out of trouble for a while? Maybe a few years or something. I'll look you up when I go on my pilgrimage and we'll have a couple of drinks."

"HA! You got a deal!" I watched as Tharn boarded the shuttle and took off. Technically the shuttle belonged to the Migrant Fleet, but I figured a Batarian cruiser would be more than enough to pay for the loss of a single shuttle.

 **A/N: I'm sorry it's been a while. I've been having to deal with medical issues for a while and I haven't felt like writing. But I'm starting to get better now so don't fret. More updates should be coming soon. Let me know what yall think in the reviews and comments.**


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